Picnic table and chair combination



Oct. 29, 1957 R. F. NIMMO 2,$3,197

PICNIC TABLE AND CHAIR COMBINATION Filed Feb. 13, 1957 I 3 Sheets-Sheet i INVENTOR F A A/mmm Oct. 29, 1957 F. NIMMO PICNIC TABLE AND CHAIR COMBINATION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 13, 1957 INVENTOR K. F. A/mmm ATTORNEY 3m QNN agw w ow QCL 1957 R. F. NIMMO 2,811,17

PICNIC TABLE AND "CHAIR COMBINATION Filed Feb. 13, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR PICNIC TABLE AND CHAIR COMBINATION Ray F. Nimmo, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Application February 13, 19'57,-SerialN0. 639,948"

9 Claims; (Cl. 155-124)- The present invention. relates to foldable picnic tables and has for an object to provide a combination seat and table group, which, when not in use, may be' foldedin'to a compact traveling unit which.v may be placed in the trunk of an automobile for ease of transportation to and from the picnic area.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a picnic tableof the foldable type wherein all of the components are physically connectedwhen in use and during storage or transportation whereby components cannot be misplaced or lost.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a unit easy to assemble, set up and extremely economical in construction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will'be more fully described'hereinafter, andwill be more particularly pointedlout in the claims appended hereto. 7

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like. or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is aperspectiverview of the. frame assembly of a foldable picnic table constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a foldable picnic table constructed in accordancewith the: present invention in the erected position.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the table of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the table of Figure 2 in folded condition.

Figure 6 is an end elevational view of the table of Figure 2 in folded condition.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the hinged connection of the upper portions of the end members with the locating rod.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the hinged connection of the lower portions of the end members showing their pivotal connection with the locating struts.

Figure 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of the hinged connection of a table top to the table frame.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of the swivel connection of a seat to the table frame.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and for the moment to Figure 1, 20 and 21 designate foldable members of an end support. Each member has a table top support 22, 23, an intermediate support 24, 25, a base 26, 27 and a seat support 28, 29. The free ends of the supports 22, 23 may be bent to define downturned necks 30, 31. Two of the above described units are joined by a locating rod 32 over which slides a pair of sleeves 33 and 33 The upper portions of the foldable members 20, 21 are hinged to the sleeves 33 and 33 by hinges 34, 35 one plate of each of which is secured to the sleeve and the other plate of each of which is secured to one of the down turned necks 30 and 31. As best seen in Figure 8 States Patent 2,81 1,197 Patented Oct. 29, 1957' the lower. portions of the foldable members 20, 21 are hinged together by hinges 36, 37 one plateof each of whichis secured to the bottom portion. of the. intermediate support 24,25 while the other plate. is: pivoted to a crimped end- 38'of one member 39 of a telescopic. support brace, the other member of the brace. is pivoted at- 41 to-a plate 42. secured to the locating rod 32. The. hinge plates are placed to. permit the members to travel. inwardly of the rod 32 so that. the seat supports 28, 29 are outermostwhen. thetable is in the position shown'in Figure 6; The telescopic. support braces 39, 40 may be locked. in the extended position by pins 43, passing. through. selective openings in the members 39,.40.

Since the structure of Figure 1 is constructed the. same ateachend, the lower left handend has been described-in detail and is identical to the upper right hand end-whose corresponding parts are identified bythe same" reference numeralwith the exponent a added-thereto- The table tops 44, 45 are rectangular and extend beyond the end supports. These'tab1etops44, 45- are joined to the support foldable members 20 and 21 (see Figure 10-) by a sleeve 46 secured to the members 20, 21 upon which is carrieda collar 47 having an upstanding projection 47A whichrotatably receives a swivel pin 48' carriedby bracket 44B. having. its. shaft 48A rotatably journaled in the projection 47A. Theswivel pin 48'- isconnected'torpermit the table topto pivot about a pin. which is: secured at each end in anangle bracket 51 securedinslots 44A and 45A. of the table tops 44,45 The tops 44,.45 may partake of two. movements simultaneously byrotatingabout: pivot pin.48B, swivel shaft 48A and rotating about the sleeve 46;

The seats 52, 53, as best seen in Figure 11,.are secured for swivel and pivotalmovement to the seat support 28; 29,. as by a sleeve 54 over which rotates a collar 54A havingv a lug 54B for rotatably journaling the shaft of a swivel pin 54C which in-turn is connected by a pin: 514E, about which the same pivots, secured inplates 54D rigidly retained in. the slots 52A. and? 53A byscrews or the like. Theseconnections permit of rotary: movement of the seats 54, 55.

When it is desired to erect the table from the position of Figure 6 to that of Figure 2, the two sleeves 33 and 33 are grasped and slid toward the ends of the locating rod 32 and the telescopic sections 39, 40 are extended until the hinged adjacent pairs of foldable members 20, 21 assume the position of Figure 1. The pins 43 are then inserted through the telescopic strut sections locking the same in position and holding the unit in assembled condition. The table tops 44, 45 are then rotated through an arc of the order of 270 degrees so that they rest upon the table top supports 22, 23.

During the erection of the table the collars 54A have rotated from the horizontal to the vertical plane and rotated about the axis of the pivot pin 54E to place the seats 52, 53 in their positions upon the seat supports 28, 29 as best seen in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

The reverse procedure just described is employed to fold the table into a compact unit for transportation. Starting with the removal of the pins 43 the sleeves 33 and 33 are urged toward the center of rod 32 after the table tops 44 and 45 have been rotated 270 degrees to clear the top of the unit. The foldable pairs of members 20 and 21 fold inwardly to the position shown in Figures 5 and 6.

While I have illustrated the form of invention as being made of tubing, solid or sheet materials may be employed so long as the relationship of the elements set out is preserved. The preferred embodiment is made of aluminum tubing and has either plastic or wooden seats and table tops although I do not restrict myself to these materials.

Although I have disclosed herein the best form of the 7 3 invention known to me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications'and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A transportation foldable type picnic table comprising a pair of foldable end members, a locating rod opera tlvely connected to said end members, slide means carried by said locating rod and end members, retaining struts connected to said end members and said locating rod to retain the table in erected position in use, table tops connected to said end members, and seats connected to said end members and positioned to rest upon said end members and serve as a seat for the table member,

2. A transportation foldable type picnic table as claimed in claim 1 wherein said end members are hinged to the upper portion to a slide sleeve carried slidably upon said locating rod and said end members are hinged together at their base and pivotally connected to said retaining struts to permit the slide sleeve to slide over the rod causing the two end members hinged together to fold inwardly of the longitudinal axis of said rod whereby to fold the table substantially fiat for transportation.

3. A transportation foldable type picnic table, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said seats and table tops lie substantially fiat in aligned relationship when the table is folded.

4. A foldable picnic table comprising a pair of end members, each end member comprising a pair of Z-shaped structures having a top support, a leg and a base, a locating rod, bearing means slidably carried by said rod and hinged to the free end of the top support of said Z-shape structure, hinge means joining adjacent pairs of Z-shape structures at their bases at the joint of their legs and bases,

a telescopic retaining strut pivotally connected between the base hinges of said Z-shape structures at one end and pivotally connected to said locating rod at their other end, a table top hingedly connected to the upper end of the leg and top support of said Z-shape structure, a seat support upstanding from the base of said Z-shape structure, a seat carried by said seat support, and table retaining means associated with the telescopic sections of the retaining struts to lock the telescopic sections against relative movement to retain the table in erected position.

5. A foldable picnic table comprising a pair of end supports, each end support comprising a pair of foldable members each having a table top support and a seat support, a locating rod, means carried by said rod and each member of a pair of said foldable members to slidably and hingedly connect the upper portions of said foldable members to said locating rod, lower hinge means joining said foldable members at their bases and being positioned to permit said members to fold inwardly along said rod, retaining struts connected to said locating rod and said lower hinge means to retain the table in erected condition, table tops connected to each of said foldable members and adapted to rest upon the table top supports of said members in erected condition, and seats connected to said seat supports and adapted to rest thereupon in the erected position.

6. A foldable picnic table, as claimed in claim 5, wherein said means connected to said rod and each member of a pair of foldable members to slidably and hingedly connect the upper portions of said foldable members to said locating rod is a sleeve slidable along the locating rod and hinged to each foldable member proximate its upper portion.

7. A foldable picnic table, as claimed in claim 5, wherein the retaining struts are telescopic sections, the inner members of which are pivoted to the locating rod and the lower hinge means joining said foldable members at their bases.

8. A foldable picnic table, as claimed in claim 5, wherein the table tops are hinged to said foldable members for swinging movement through an arc of the order of 270 degrees.

9. A foldable picnic table, as claimed in claimS, wherein said seats are pivotally and swivelly mounted to said foldable members to permit relative movement between said seat and foldable members simultaneously through two different planes for an angle of the order of degrees.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

